


Lynx //Steve Rogers Romance//

by cowboysrappin



Category: Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ashes Scene in Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Avengers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2020-01-15 13:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18499480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cowboysrappin/pseuds/cowboysrappin
Summary: "Half of the universe: gone.Half of my friends: gone.We failed.We couldn't stop him.We couldn't stop Thanos.My name is Tori Lowe. Since the day I was born, I've been different. I planned on hiding it, but fate had other plans. I joined a team, a team of people like me. We thought we could save the world. Through all the chaos, betrayal, battles, and fractures, I've walked back alive. I know it's because of the love of my life, Steve Rogers.The past week has been hectic. Half of everything is gone.Maybe I should back up farther.After all, a lot of things lead up to the Decimation."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! I hope you like it!

Half of the universe: _gone._

Half of my friends: _gone_.

We _failed._

We couldn't stop him.

We couldn't stop Thanos.

My name is Tori Lowe. Since the day I was born, I've been different. I planned on hiding it, but fate had other plans. I joined a team, a team of people like me. We thought we could save the world. Through all the chaos, betrayal, battles, and fractures, I've walked back alive. I know it's because of the love of my life, Steve Rogers.

The past week has been hectic. Half of everything is _gone._

Maybe I should back up farther.

After all, a lot of things lead up to the Decimation. I think that's what Thor's calling it.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois. But I came out of the womb different. Before that, I had been exposed to ultrasounds several times. Normally ultrasounds cause no harm, but I guess I was lucky.

I'm feline. I have retractable claws. I have enhanced senses. I'm particularly agile.

This lead to...complications in my childhood. _Deadly_ complications.

I had loving parents and a good life in Chicago despite my differences. But it didn't last.

When I was six, we were attacked. I don't remember much other than fear, grief, and a malicious voice with an Australian accent.

Later I was told by SHIELD that we were attacked by a man they called Dingo. He was the leader of an underground organization of assassins, and was particularly interested in enhanced personages. SHIELD managed to keep Dingo from me, but didn't keep him from my parents.

Because of Dingo, Harry Josiah Lowe and Jessica Ann Steed Lowe, two innocent people, are dead.

SHIELD relocated me to Cody, Wyoming. I know, you probably haven't heard of it. That's the point. Everything happens in Chicago or Cleveland or Las Vegas or Miami or Las Angeles or San Francisco or San Diego or New York. No one looks in places like Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, or Wyoming. Wyoming has the smallest population of any state in the United States of America. Cody is a small town, unless you're a Wyomingite. If you are, it's a decent sized city. For geographical reference, it's in the Bighorn Mountain area in northern Wyoming.

SHIELD put me in the home of Henry and Caroline Powell. They were former members of SHIELD, but health concerns forced them to retire early. Yes, they've raised me since I was six. They've fed me, housed me, and clothed me. And I'm grateful for all they've done. I don't mean to be an ingrate, but I've never had that marvelous of a relationship with them.

My childhood was very lonely. I tended to isolate myself, not wanting anyone to know about _me_. SHIELD hadn't even told Henry and Caroline about me! I only told one person, the one friend I had.

Thomas Remus "Tommy" Weston has been my best friend since I was six. I never intended on telling Tommy, but fate had other plans. For years, Tommy has been the only one outside of SHIELD that knew.

My powers developed, but I never truly could _control_ them. All I could do _hide_ them, not _use_ them. I didn't _want_ them. I wanted to be _normal._

Fast forward to my senior year of college. Tommy and I were attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah. There is a perfectly fine university in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but I kind of wanted to go outside of Wyoming.

After years of saving up for it, I had bought myself a Jeep. I walked out of the store I had been shopping at and got in the driver's seat, setting the groceries in the passenger's seat. But I wasn't alone.

"Miss Lowe?" someone said behind me. A man in a suit and shades was in my backseat. He had a black briefcase on his lap with a familiar logo on it.

I sighed. "What does SHIELD want?"

"To warn you."

I sighed. "What happened?"

"Dingo is in eastern Idaho. The number of enhanced individuals in the Rocky Mountain area is quite low."

I rolled my eyes. "You think he's after me again."

"We can't be sure. There's ten in Utah, twenty in Idaho, ten in Wyoming, and ten in Colorado. We're warning all fifty individuals, Miss Lowe." He stretched out his hand for us to shake. "Agent Phil Coulson."

I nodded gravely. "I was planning on going back to Cody once I graduate. Maybe I should go somewhere else."

"You are studying to become a software engineer, correct?"

"I am."

"You would be surprised how little non-Utahns know about Silicon Slopes."

"You think I should go to Lehi?" I asked. Silicon Valley is a valley in California that is full of the computer industry. But as California grew more leftist, it became less appealing to young capitalists, hoping to become entrepreneurs and gain a profit. The rolling mountains of Lehi, Utah have recently attracted entrepreneurs to the newly dubbed Silicon Slopes. I would doubtlessly be able to work my way around there.

"I do mean Lehi," Agent Coulson said. "Y'know, Utah is a fairly safe state. No one thinks of it, despite it's marvelous history and immense potential. The most people think of it is Mormonism."

He's right. Say what you want about Mormons, but they make _GREAT_ cookies. "I suppose that is true. I'll see what I can do." Agent Coulson gave his farewells and left my Jeep.

A month later I graduated USU with a 3.6 GPA. Tommy graduated at the same time. I had told him about Agent Coulson's recommendation of Silicon Slopes. We packed up and went south to Lehi. I became a software engineer, he became a forensic scientist at the LPD.

I know I'm rushing through this, but this isn't the story of an Infinity Stone. This will just help you understand how I became an Avenger.

A few years passed, and all was fine. I had minimum run-ins with SHIELD. There was no sign of Dingo.

But, alas, it didn't last.

And thus a new chapter of my life began.

I was staying at my job late into the night. Not many others were in the building. I looked at the clock on my screen. 11:00 pm. I sighed, knowing I was about half an hour away from finishing my code. I stretched and returned silently to my work. At 11:05 I heard a sound. I swivelled my head around, searching for the source of the sound. Upon seeing nothing, I went back to my work, assuming the sound was a figment of my imagination. I heard some more sounds, but they were from the room next door. I figured my coworker, Leonard Miller, was getting ready to leave. I decided I could finish the last few minutes of my work the next day. I saved my work and prepared to leave. The door opened. I assumed it was Leonard, coming to say farewell. I bent down to grab my things. "Hey, Leonard, I'm leaving now." I straightened my body and put my coat on. I glanced at my computer and effortlessly turned it off. I glanced at the darkened screen and saw Leonard's reflection.

Except it wasn't Leonard Miller.

I had never seen that man in my life.

Before I could ask who he was, he slammed his fist into the side of my head. I fell off my chair, my vision blurry. The last thing I saw was my attacker standing over me, a smug look on his face.

I woke up in a car. I was lying down on the back seat. My head ached. The coat I had been wearing earlier was draped over my body. I tried to sit up, but something stopped me. I looked to see what could be prohibiting my movement. The seatbelts of the three seats were wrapped around my body. Upon trying to undo them, I discovered my wrists were bound together with strong ropes. I struggled against them, but they would not budge.

"Good morning, or should I say afternoon," the man in the driver's seat said.

"Who are you?!" I asked, my voice hoarse. I tugged against my restraints. For a split second I thought he might be Dingo, but I shook my head. I could never forget that malicious voice of the evil Aussie that haunts my dreams.

"You can call me Frostbite," he said. "I'll reserve my identity for another day." He smirked. "I'm sorry about the... _inconveniences_. I doubt you have too big of a head injury. As for the bonds, I don't feel particularly inclined to be attacked by an enhanced on the freeway."

"What do you want with me?!"

Frostbite shrugged. "Not much, really. Wait and see." He remained silent for a long while, and so did I. My head felt awful.

After some time, the car came to a stop. Frostbite turned in his seat to face me. "I'm gonna go out," he said, holding a half full plastic bottle of water in one hand. "Scream, and there'll be... _dire_ consequences." As he finished his sentence, with a flick of his wrist he _froze_ the water in the bottle. The water crackled as it froze solid. My eyes widened in fear. Frostbite too was enhanced. "Understand?" I nodded in fear. "Good. I'll be back in a few minutes." He got out and quietly closed the door.

I craned my head to see where I was. A gas station. Frostbite came back ten minutes later with a small bag.

"Where are we?" I asked, fear leaking into my voice.

"Snowflake, Arizona. Won't be here for too long." Frostbite started the engine and we drove off. He continued driving for an hour before he stopped on an empty forest road. He turned the engine off. I tensed, not knowing his intentions.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, not bothering to filter fear out of my voice.

"Don't fret! I won't hurt you unless I have to, Victoria."

"Please don't call me that." It hurts to hear my given name. Reminds me of my parents.

"Whatever you say! No harm will come to you, on the condition that you behave."

"Then why are we here?"

"I've been driving for fifteen hours almost non-stop. You haven't eaten for almost thirty hours." He turned to look at me and my surprised face. "Yes, I know when you ate. Bagel yesterday for breakfast. Oh, and a Pop-Tart last night, but that can't have done much for you."

"How long have you-"

"Been watching you? Since Sunday." It was Friday. That rocked my world. Before I could respond, Frostbite left the car. In a few seconds, he was standing by my ankles, tying some rope around them despite my ferocious kicking. He leaned over and unravelled the seat belts, picking me up and throwing me over his back. I struggled against his grasp, but his grip was firm and unbreakable. His whole body was cold to the touch.

He gently dropped me on the ground next to a ring of decently sized rocks. I was shivering. Upon seeing that, Frostbite went back to the car and grabbed my soft brown coat and covered my trembling body.

He went back to the car and grabbed some stuff from the trunk. He was on the other side of the car, out of my sight. While he was there, I contemplated using claws to cut the rope and escape. But I knew that if Frostbite caught me red-handed, I'd regret it. I decided to wait until I had a better opportunity.

When my train of thought ended, Frostbite came back with the bag he had gotten at the gas station. He sat down cross-legged next to my curled up body. This was the first time I got a good look at him. He had short dark hair and piercing eyes. He wore jeans, hiking boots, and a black jacket. He made the temperature around him drop by just being there. He took his jacket off and set it in his lap, revealing the navy blue long sleeve shirt he had been wearing underneath the jacket. He gently grabbed my head with his frigid hands and lifted it, placing it in his cold lap. I tried to fight my way away, but Frostbite wouldn't take any of it.

"Calm down! I just want you to eat!" He took some food out of his bag and tried to get me to eat a sandwich. I refused. He rolled his eyes. "It's not poisoned! I just got it out of the wrapper. You need to eat!" Reluctantly, I ate a few bites. I knew Frostbite wouldn't leave until I got a few calories in. "I didn't say you only had to eat a few bites! Eat the entire gosh darn thing!" I sighed and finished it.

It was getting dark and I got even colder. I wondered if this was Frostbite's final destination, if I'd be stuck here. Frostbite went to the car and came back with some blankets. He wrapped them around my shivering body tightly, restricting my movements even further. I was warmer, bit still shivered a bit. Frostbite threw some wood in the fire pit and lit a match, setting fire to the wooden teepee.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. I still had no idea what Frostbite wanted with me.

"I told you, we need a break before we can continue in the morning," Frostbite answered with a sigh.

"Then where are you taking me?"

"Safford, Arizona."

"Why?"

"Money, why else?"

"You're being _paid_ to drag me off to who knows where in Arizona?"

"Yep, I am."

I couldn't believe it. It made everything worse. I could maybe have lived as Frostbite's captive. But I was being sold to someone I didn't know a thing about. Like a slave.

Frostbite looked at a watch I hadn't noticed before. "Nine o'clock." He looked at me with seriousness. "You aren't hydrated. You _are_ going to drink this bottle of water, whether I force you to or not." He uncapped a plastic water bottle. He lifted my head high enough for me to effectively drink and put the bottle to my lips. He poured a bearable stream of icy water into my mouth. I tried to signal that I was good, but he ignored it until the the bottle was empty.

What I didn't know was that Frostbite had slipped a drug into the water.

After a few minutes I drifted into unconsciousness.

The first thing I knew when I woke up was that I was _cold._ I shivered under the blankets that were on top of me. I curled up in a ball, as if I was in a snail shell. That was when I realized my wrists and ankles weren't bound.

My eyes flew open, but they didn't help too much. It was extremely dark. I was lying on the floor in a small, dark room. Two blankets were piled on top of me, giving me some warmth. I sat up, wrapping the blankets around me. _Where am I?_ was my only thought. I saw a door and tried it. It was a heavy door, and I had a hard time pushing it. Unfortunately though, it was locked. Defeated, I leaned against the door and sat down, wondering if I'd ever see the light of day again. Just then, something was slipped under the door. A small box and a note. The note read:

_Welcome! This is your first test. You have an hour to get out. If you go over your time limit, we'll negotiate what happens next._

I looked at the box and opened it. Paperclips and bobby pins.

It all clicked.

When I was out, Frostbite had taken me to Safford and sold me. My captor locked me in that infernal room, expecting me to be able to pick the lock. But what did he mean by test?

I grabbed a paperclip and straightened it. Lucky for me, Tommy was in forensics. He had dealt with crimes committed with these. One day when we were both bored, we learned how to pick locks. I knew I could figure this lock out. 

After roughly fifteen minutes, I shoved the door open all the way. I ended up in a dark hallway. I walked down it cautiously, my footsteps barely audible. Part of me hoped I could sneak out unscathed, but I knew that was unlikely. My captor wanted me to get to where I was; I didn't break out. Whatever was down the hall, it wasn't an exit.

I made a turn and found a door. Uncertain of what to do, I slowly pulled it open, having nowhere else to go. I had no clue as to what I'd find. I prayed I'd live through it. I stepped inside the room.

"You came sooner than expected," a voice sneered. A voice with an Australian accent. I audibly gasped and Dingo chuckled. "So you _do_ remember me." Dingo sat in an office chair, facing the wall. He spun around to face me. "I've waited _years_ to speak to you face to face." My face was pale and I started to feel sick. 

The worst possible outcome of Frostbite selling me is what happened. I belonged to _Dingo_. I trembled in fear and anger. Fear for my life. Anger seeking retribution for my parents' deaths. 

I was speechless, so Dingo continued. "SHIELD made it hard to find you. I knew you were in the American West, but that's much too vague. And switching from Cody to Logan to Lehi!" I was petrified. "It's several years too late, but I believe we've already begun. You picked the lock."

"W-why me?" I managed to croak just barely.

Dingo laughed. "Why _not_ you? Your abilities are _splendid_. You'll learn from me quickly. I can teach you how to control your powers, but it'll be long and difficult."

"I expect I won't have much of a choice, will I?"

Dingo chuckled. "No, you don't have any choice in this matter, my soon-to-be assassin." He stood up, making him much taller than I. I backed up a little. "You'll be part of the family, Tori. You lost yours years ago in Chicago and you didn't gain a new one in Cody. You'll now join us and have a new family."

"I'd rather not."

"You'll change your mind." Dingo advanced toward me and I panicked. I quickly backed up and he grabbed my shoulders and stopped me. I writhed under his grip, but his strength was unimaginable. Dingo leaned closer to me. "You'll make a wondrous assassin. You already are stealthier than some professionals. You're agile, and you senses and claws are magnificent."

"Yeah, well, what if you're wrong."

"Oh, anyone can become an assassin, given the correct training. And you'll certainly receive the correct training." He removed his hands from my shoulders and used them to cup my face. He pulled my chin up, forcing me to look directly in his malicious eyes, which I had been avoiding. "When your training is done, we could kill the entire Pentagon."

"I would prefer that we _not_ massacre the Pentagon!"

"And I doubt we will. But we _could_." His eyes were desperate. "I _need_ you. I need you to become an assassin." 

"I'm _not_ a murderer!" I said in desperation.

"For now you aren't, and I won't expect you to kill for some time. But you learn rather quickly. You completed the first test in a quarter of the time I expected. Only God knows when you'll be ready." Dingo placing an arm around my shoulder, pinning me to him. He lead me to the back of the room and shut the door behind him. I felt even more trapped. He took me to the swivel chair and somewhat gently pushed me on it. "You have much to come to terms with. I'll give you twenty four hours until the next test. Go through that door to find your quarters." Dingo turned to exit the room. "Stay in these two rooms. You won't be able to escape, so don't try." Dingo left, locking the door behind him.

I sat in the chair, paralyzed, for half an hour. I couldn't believe it. My worst nightmare had come to pass. I didn't _want_ to kill, and I didn't think I _could_ kill. But it wasn't like I had a choice.

I eventually stood up and walked into my quarters. It wasn't extravagant, but still more than the cold, hard floor and two blankets I had come from. There was a twin bed with a chest full of covers at its foot. A small dresser held some extra clothes. A small shelf held books and stationery. A door lead to an adjacent bathroom with a toilet, sink, tub, and mirror. Personal hygiene was supplied. 

I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. I took a bath, washing out all the dirt, sweat, and tears that had clung to my body. The entire time I trembled, curled up in a ball.

I got out and dressed. When I went to my bed, someone knocked. Not knowing what to do, I let them in. I immediately regretted it. It was Frostbite!

"You! You sold me to _him_?!"

"Indeed I did, Tori. Sit on the bed. You _will_ eat."

"I'd prefer not," I said defiantly.

Frostbite rolled his eyes. "It's not poisoned, just eat. You can return to your existential crisis when you're done." When I didn't move, he gently pushed me into a sitting position on the bed. He threw a bag from McDonald's in my lap. "In the name of all that's holy, just eat! How are you not dead yet? You ate barely anything in a week!"

"I just don't have much of an appetite," I said indifferently. "And you're just gonna stand there and watch me eat?"

"Uh, yeah! If I don't you _won't_ eat, and we can't have that, can we?"

I sighed and continued eating in discomfort. "Why are you still here? You brought me here, so why stay?"

"I have a few more things to do 'round here. Drink the water too." 

"So why are you still worrying yourself with me?"

Frostbite shrugged. "I dunno. I like you, I guess."

"Less than money though."

"Perhaps." A minute of silence. He reached his hand out to me. "We were never properly introduced. Zach Hill." I hesitantly shook his hand. "Ya ever need help out in the field, I'm a known friend of Dingo. Assuming I'm in the area."

"At what price?"

Zach laughed. "Normally that would be negotiable. But since I like you, there'll be no cost."

"Thanks?" How am I respond to _that_? 

"It's nothing. But I've gotta be somewhere. I swear on all that's holy, I will make your life hell if you don't eat regularly."

"You already have!" I mean, it could've been _much_ worse, but I _may_ be a little dramatic.

Not bothering to respond, Zach left, closing the door behind him. I continued to have an existential crisis. I grew exhausted and eventually fell into a restless slumber.

I woke up, curled up in a ball. An energy bar and note were placed in front of my face. I yawned as I sat up and grabbed them. I tore the wrapper off the bar and read the note.

_Test #2 awaits you. Come by 9:00 am._

I looked at a small digital clock that had been placed by my bed during my sleep. Ten to nine. I finished the bar and went outside of my quarters. There stood Dingo.

"Ah, my feline friend," he greeted. Chills went down my spine. "Ready for the second test?"

"Nope."

"It's happening anyway. You see that bucket?" He pointed at a small white bucket behind me. I nodded. "You're gonna need it." Before I could ask why, Dingo pulled out a pistol from a concealed holster on his hip. Before I could register what was happening, he cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.

I fell down in a crumpled heap, a shout escaping my lips. I moved my hand to my thigh and felt warm blood spread down my leg and arm. "The heck?!"

"You might want to patch yourself up," Dingo said before he left the room, locking the door behind him.

Through tears I looked for the bucket. I half crawled half dragged myself to it. Inside were medical supplies. I pushed the bucket to the wall and pulled myself to it again. I grabbed some scissors and cut my pant leg off four inches above my knee. I tore the jeans off my leg and tossed them aside. I grabbed a tool that, based off my many hours of watching M.A.S.H., I knew was meant to pull bullets out of tissue. I steadied my arm somewhat pulled the bullet out of my leg, not quite managing to stifle my yelp of pain. I pressed guaze against the wound and used antiseptic wipes to clean it. I wished I had payed attention to Caroline, my foster mother, when she wanted to teach me how to sew. I needed to stitch my wound. I breathed in and out, trying to calm down. When I could stop my arm from shaking, I stitched up the shot wound to the best of my abilities. When I was done, I wrapped my thigh up tightly in bandages.

I grabbed onto the wall for support and hobbled to the bathroom. I knelt by the tub and cleaned the blood off my leg and arms. When I finished, I hobbled off to the shelf to grab a book and over to my bed to rest. I knew I shouldn't be on my leg, and Dingo had neglected giving me painkillers.

I lied down and sobbed. My leg throbbed in pain I couldn't alleviate. I tried to read the book, _Animal Farm_ by George Orwell, but the pain was so intense that I couldn't focus on the political fable. The printed black letters were blurry to my tear-filled eyes. The tale of Animalism was sickening. It told the story of Stalinist Russia, the terrors of communism and totalianarism, the corruption brought about by power, and the toll on the people. Part of me wondered if I was Boxer and Dingo was Napoleon, if I was the working Russian and Dingo Stalin, fighting at the Battle of Stalingrad against the Nazis. The dogs, or KGB and NKVD, may have 'won' the Battle, but Boxer, the citizens of Stalingrad, paid the cost in blood. Dingo may win in whatever scheme he had with me, but I would be worse off for it, maybe lose my life. At _least this isn't the USSR_ , I thought. I wouldn't know, but I'm assuming it was worse their, especially if you were a Ukrainian farmer. Slowly the tale of the animals of Manor Farm slipped out of my mind as I fell asleep, tears rushing down my face.

I woke up every once in a while with food next to me. From checking the clock I knew I was sleeping for long periods of the day. I think Dingo put something in the food, a drug that kept me under. I could taste it. Not that I complained. Every waking moment was agonizing. I lost track of time. I had no clue how long I was in that ungodly room.

One day, I woke up, moaning. The pain was duller, but I still couldn't stand on it. A small bowl of Spaghetti-O's and a plastic spoon was placed on the nightstand. I pulled myself up into a sitting position, pain shooting through my leg. Leaning against the wall, I grabbed the bowl and scooped some food in the spoon. I put it to my mouth, wrinkling my nose at the smell. It seemed... _off_. Hesitantly, suspiciously, I nibbled a little off the spoon. A strangely, extremely bitter taste burst into my mouth. A taste that was definitely not related to Spaghetti-O's. 

Panicked, I spit out the food back in the bowl. _"A lot of poisons have bitter tastes, Tori,"_ Tommy once told me. _"Some people have a more than average number of taste buds. They can sometimes taste poisons. The case I'm working on, this guy could taste poison in his Olive Garden food. You have even more enhanced taste than he did. If your food is poisoned, you'll know."_

I set the bowl aside, certain there was poison mixed into it. I laid back down and tried to fall asleep without the help of Dingo's sedative he put in my food. 

I woke up to the sound of my door being thrown open. I flinched and opened my eyes to see Dingo standing in the doorway. "This is the first meal you haven't touched. Is something wrong?" he said in a sinister voice.

"If you count poison as something wrong," I said, struggling to keep my eyes open. 

Dingo chuckled. "Tori, I was planning for the third test to be you treating yourself after you're poisoned. This has gone in a much different way." He smiled. "You tasted the poison?"

"Just like how I tasted the sedatives in the rest of the food."

Dingo chuckled. "I should've known you were a supertaster. I'm not sure if you passed the test or not. You went against the operational definition, but I suppose it is better to prevent poisoning entirely than to have to learn the complex art of treating it. I'd say you passed."

"Yeah, great, yay!" I said, unamused. 

"Perhaps poison will show up later, but not yet." He brushed his hand against my injury and I winced. I tried to push off his hand, but he grabbed my hands with his other hand and pinned them to my stomach. "It's healing remarkably. Once again, I'm surprised by your resourcefulness." He looked at his watch. "Give it a week. Then you'll be able to stand and take part in Test Number Four."

"And let's suppose something were to happen that would delay that...?"

Dingo chuckled. "My dear, it would cause you needless pain, make it much more difficult for you."

"And the harder route is usually the correct one."

"Nothing is black and white in this business. Everything is grey."

"Well, I'm not in this business!"

"For now. Delays are just delays. You can only slow this down so much, I'd doubt it's worth it." With that, he left.

I never did delay it. It was all just a bluff. 

And so my life went on very similarly for months. I had long since given up hope that SHIELD would find me. Day after day I went through tests. Tests of strength, agility, my powers, and healing. Not knowing what else to do, I followed along. Dingo said it'd be another year or so until I'd be ready. It felt like twenty years had passed. 

I resigned to this life, knowing I'd know nothing else. I'd never see Tommy or anyone else I cared about again.

But one day, something unexpected happened.

I woke up, startled. I had heard a loud crashing sound, one I hadn't heard hear before. _Get up, Tori_ , I thought. _It's gonna be another test_. 

I stepped outside into the hall. I had gained Dingo's trust just enough for him to let me out of my room for small amounts of time when I wanted. After all, I couldn't escape, so why try? I crept down the hall, silently. _I_ couldn't hear my footsteps, and I have enhanced hearing. Then again, there was a lot of noise coming from the opposite side of the building. I heard _fighting_ on the other side of the wall in front of me. _What are you doing, Dingo?_

I crept through the door, keeping to the shadows. There were sounds of gunshots just around the corner. Curious, I slowly walked to the edge. Hidden in the shadows, I peered around the bend in the hall. I gasped and came back to my side of the bend, hand covering my mouth.

I had seen Dingo's assassins fighting against men in black uniforms, carrying the logo with a bird with outstretched wings. SHIELD's logo. 

SHIELD had found me!

I didn't know what to do. _Do I run? Do I help SHIELD fight? There's probably still guards at the exits, so I won't be able to escape that way, and, gosh, if Dingo finds me trying to escape..._ I shuddered at the thought. _But these are world class assassins. It's possible SHIELD will..._ _ **lose**_ _. And if I fight for SHIELD...same result as tryna escape._

I bent down and leaned against the wall, cupping my head in my hands. _What do I do?_

I hear someone coming toward me. Instinctively, I raise my claws in their direction. Since living in Dingo's grasp, that has become an instinct.

"Scared of an old friend?" asked the approacher. I looked closer and saw who it was.

"Okay, Zach, we are _not_ friends. What are you doing here?"

"I thought we had a connection, Tori! I was in the neighborhood when I heard gunshots and screams, so I naturally went in the direction I was told not to go as a kid: straight into danger," Zach said. 

"And what are you gonna do now?"

"Keep _you_ from doing anything stupid."

"Define stupid."

"Taking this as an opportunity to run." He crouched down in front of me. "Look, I get it, you don't wanna be here, neither would I. And I'm not saying I agree with Dingo or anything like that either. Just, I know what Dingo would do to you if he caught you, and I guarantee you would not like it."

"I know that."

"If you want to leave this dump, I won't stop you, but that's not the way."

I raised my eyebrow. "You were the one that brought me here, idiot."

"Ah, I was being paid that time. Not being paid to keep ya here. And, hey, you called me an idiot. I hear that's a sign of friendship."

"That's not how insults work!"

"It is if you don't care!"

I sighed. "Well, if you're so hot on helping me, how do you suggest I get out?"

"Those SHIELD agents, help them fight against the assassins. They'll find out pretty quickly that it's you, and you won't get any bullet holes in you."

"And we both know what will happen if we lose and Dingo finds out what I did."

"No, none of us know. We can only assume." That was frightening. "But the assassins' odds at winning aren't too high."

"And why is that?"

"All of the enhanced assassins are in Alaska right now. The non-enhanced are scheduled to transfer in a month. So that's two enhanced versus none."

"Two?"

"What, did you think I was just here for a pep talk?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Zach shrugged. "I'm bored, I need some action."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

Zach peered around the corner and shot ice out of his fingertips. I looked to see what he had froze. In the center of the hallway was an assassin, inert on the ground, ice covering his chest. My eyes widened. "Is he...dead?"

"Maybe, we'll find out soon enough. Either way, he won't be stopping us now. Now you know I'm not lying."

The hallway had gotten quiet. Both SHIELD agent and Dingo's assassins looked at the man on the ground. They looked for where the beam of ice came from, not seeing Zach and I. 

"C'mon. Let's go," Zach said, lightly pushing me forward. Not knowing what exactly to do, I attracted my claws and followed Zach into the fray, hoping against hope that it'd work out in the end. 

Zach went first, shooting ice at assassins. SHIELD was surprised to be sure, but they went with it. They probably assumed he was like me: captured by Dingo and forced into this life. They assumed that of me too when I dug my claws into the face of an assassin. They figured that if we wanted to fight for our freedom, they weren't gonna stop us. 

_W_ _here is Dingo?_ He wasn't anywhere to be seen, and he wasn't the type to run at the first sign of danger. Before I could ask myself more questions, an assassin pressed a blade at my chest. I flicked it away and made quick work or him. I weaved in and out of them, taking them down. I glanced to see Zach shooting frost across the room at assassins. 

I got pressed backwards, as did Zach. We ended up back to back, leaning on each other for support. This is one of the moments I wish was in a movie, because I think it would look _awesome_. Zach shot ice and distant opponents and froze body parts of close ones, while I kicked, punched, and clawed opponents on my side. 

"Not too bad, kitty!" Zach shouted over the noise of gunfire.

"Do _not_ call me that!" I saw a few SHIELD agents cornered by assassins, unable to fight back. There guns were discarded a few feet away. "FYI, we're splitting up again!" I shouted to Zach. 

Before he could respond, I dove through the mass of assassins and made my way to the defenseless agents. I attacked the assassins from behind and kicked their legs out from underneath them. When they fell to the ground, I pushed the agents away. I began contending with the assassins. They started backing away. I thought it was because I was intimidating, but I was wrong.

If _he_ wasn't there, I wouldn't have noticed it until it was too late. 

At that point we had expanded from the corner. There was plenty of room on either side of me. The assassins backed up, looking at the ceiling. Suddenly, I felt a large, masculine body run into me, propelling me forward and knocking me to the ground. I was on my stomach, and the man was on top of my back. I squirmed under his weight, but he didn't move. He leaned closer to me and covered our heads with a big frisbee shaped thing. 

_CRASH!_ I had no idea where the noise came from, but chunks of metal came flying past my face. The man moved his frisbee and I saw that a huge steel beam from the ceiling had fallen down. If it weren't for the man, the beam would've fallen on top of me. _Who is this guy, and why does he have a frisbee?_ I asked myself. I knew it wasn't Zach; Zach's body is always just above freezing.

The man slowly got off of me. I twisted off my stomach onto my back to see who it was. He was the only one not wearing black. In fact, he wore navy blue and white with a white star on his chest. His "frisbee" was like a round American flag. I moved my attention from his uniform and to his face. He had bright blue eyes full of kindness. A helmet covered part of his face and his hair. But I knew who it was. At least, I knew who he looked like. 

"Wait, what? Captain Amer—isn't he supposed to be dead?" I asked in confusion.

The man helped me up. "Do you know about anything that's happened in the last seven months outside of here?" he asked kindly.

"N-no."

The man smiled. "We'll get you caught up. But, no, Captain America didn't die in the War. He lived, and I'm him."

"How-"

"No time to explain right now, Miss. But I promise we'll tell you once we get you somewhere safe."

Before I could respond, silence fell over the crowd of SHIELD agents as a new man entered. Every gun pointed at the man, and the few assassins left smirked.

"Off to leave so soon, Rogers? And Tori! Oh, please stay! We'll have some fun once I kill everyone!" Dingo said maliciously.

"Not yet," Captain America said. 

"Move aside, Carlton. You've lost," Zach said.

"You too, Hill? You betrayed me?"

"It's not betrayal if you were never loyal in the first place. I only helped you because you offered a boatload of money," Zach said. "So, why don't you just waltz out and leave us to our business?"

"Not a chance."

Captain America lightly nudged me behind him. "Run!" he said.

Before I could leave, assassins sent to guard all the doors. We were trapped.

Captain America ran and confronted Dingo, or Carlton as Zach had called him. I wondered if that was his real name. I stayed away from the assassins and Carlton, not wanting to get involved with either. I watched Captain America contend with Carlton; he was Dingo's match. They were both supersoldiers after all. But after a few minutes, Dingo slipped away and headed toward me. Before Captain America or I could do anything, Zach jumped between Carlton and I.

"Tyson "Dingo" Carlton, it's _over_ ," he muttered, barely audible enough for me to hear. He shot frosty ice at Dingo's chest. Dingo kept coming forward, though he was slowed down. With a shout, Zach placed both of his hands in Dingo, one on his head and one on his chest, using as much power as he could. I could see him shaking from the exertion of so much energy. But it paid off.

Dingo dropped to the floor, his lips and fingertips a light blue, ice covering his head and chest. 

I stood there in shock. I had never seen someone actually die. It was the first death of _many_ to come. 

Captain America looked at Zach suspiciously. "Who the heck are you supposed to be?"

"He's _Frostbite_ , the mercenary," I heard some SHIELD agents murmur.

"Not quite a friend, but not quite an enemy," Zach said indifferently. He advanced toward me, and Captain America stepped between us, not knowing what Zach would do if he got close to me. "Chill, Cap, I'm not gonna hurt her."

"Why should I believe that?" Captain America asked.

"Tori, could you help me out?"

I sighed. "What the heck is it, Zach?"

"Come here," he beckoned. Not quite sure what to do, I hesitantly went forward. He wrapped his arms around me, almost like a hug, but not quite. He whispered in my ear, "Look, I did terrible things to you and let Carlton do terrible things to you, and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you someday, I hope. If you need help, call me."

"So, suddenly we're supposed to be besties now?" I asked in annoyance.

"Hey, I knew I couldn't fight Dingo alone, I can't fight any of my hirers alone. Who do you think told SHIELD about this location?"

I was about to respond, but suddenly I realized the truth behind what he said. "Wait, you brought SHIELD?"

"Not directly, no. They didn't know it was me that told them. Usually when I do this I just let SHIELD handle it, but, I told you, I like you. You don't take crap and you get the job done. So I came to make sure everything worked."

"So all of your jobs are just-"

"My daily act of vigilanteism, yes." I felt something small be pressed into my pocket. "Keep that. It'll help you contact me if you need me. And something tells me you will one day."

"How?"

"You'll know when the time comes. For now, could you not tell SHIELD about my crime fighting? It would make it harder to do my job if it was out there that I'm not _really_ a vigilante."

"What should I say I told you?"

"Tell them that I said something in some sorta code and that you have no idea what I said." He broke away from our sorta-hug. "Farewell, and good luck." He started walking away.

"And where do you think you're going?" an agent asked.

"None of your business, you can't stop me." he shouted as he left.

Captain America went to me and smiled softly. "Let's get you outta here, Miss."

_Casting:_  
_Tori Lowe • Willa Holland_  
_Zach Hill • Wentworth Miller_  
_Tyson Carlton • Manu Bennett_  
_Phil Coulson • Greg Clark_  
_S_ _teve Roger • Chris Evans_

 


	2. ii

After Zach left, Captain America lead me outside. It was midday and the sun was out, shining brightly. I paused, letting the warmth sink in. Captain America stopped and eyed me. "Is everything okay, Miss?"

"I just haven't been outside in the sun for months," I said, smiling at the sky.

"Carlton never let you outside?"

"No, he didn't. I think the number one thing a captor does to insure his captive doesn't escape is to keep the captive from getting outside."

"Do you need a moment, Miss?" I was surprised by how respectful he was.

"No, I'm good. I can stay outside once I get home. I don't think I ever want to go to this place ever again!"

Captain America smiled. "Okay then. Let's get you outta here."

He lead me to a helicopter with SHIELD's logo plastered all over it. He helped me inside and sat next to me. I'm not a very patient person, and I was eager to get to the bottom of the mystery in front of me.

"So, how are you not dead, Captain?" I asked.

"Just call me Steve, and that, Miss, is a crazy story."

"If I'm calling you Steve, call me Tori. What happened?"

Steve sighed. "When I was on the plane, Red Skull tried to wield the Tesseract, and it killed him. The plane was filled with missiles, so I crashed the plane into the Arctic. I thought it was the end."

"How did you get from there to here?"

"Decades later, SHIELD found me, perfectly preserved and alive. They immediately began thawing me. They put me in a recovery room disguised to look like one from the '40's. Back then, they had radios on all the time in these hospital rooms, playing baseball games. SHIELD accidentally got a game playing that I had been to."

"So you knew something was off."

"That's right. And a few minutes later, I had broken out and was outside...in Times Square. I had no idea where I was. Then Fury came and told me what happened." He paused. "The adjustment was...rough. 2012 is really different than what I'm used to. Just when I thought I'd never adjust, Fury came and gave me a mission. I was surprised that he'd send me back into the world so soon, but he wasn't just letting me lose into 2012. No, he told me I needed to save the world."

"Save the world from what?" I asked in confusion. _What the heck has happened?_

"SHIELD had the Tesseract locked up, and they got a scientist, Erik Selvig, to try to figure it out. The Tesseract has a huge energy source, but it can also rip holes in reality. And that's what it did. It opened a portal to God knows where, and someone came out."

I had a hard time believing it. But it was _Captain America_ telling the story, and something tells me he'd be a terrible liar. "Who was it?"

"Do you know anything about Norse mythology?"

"A little. I know who Thor and Odin and Loki are."

"Well, turns out it's not mythology. They're real. And it was Loki that came into our world."

"That couldn't have been good."

"It wasn't. He wanted to take over Earth. He mind controlled the scientist and one of SHIELD's agents, Clint Barton. That's when Fury pulled a truck out of his hat. The Avengers Initiative."

"What's that?"

"The Initiative gathered _extraordinary_ people that could fight the battles that no one else could. And that's why Fury came to me."

"He put you on some sorta team? Is this-"

"The Avengers?" Steve said, gesturing to the SHIELD agents. "No, I'm the only Avenger here."

"Then who else did Fury find?"

"Tony Stark. Natasha Romanoff, a SHIELD agent and assassin. Bruce Banner, he's the Hulk. Thor, Loki's brother. And Clint, once we broke through the mind control."

"So you guys stopped Loki from taking over the world?"

"Yeah. It involved an alien attack at New York City, and, while we were at it, stopping a nuclear missile. That's why it took us so long to find you. Fury had actually narrowed down Carlton's location to this region of Arizona, but then Loki came. And Fury got a bit distracted, trying to stop a _god_ from taking over."

"And once it was all over, you and Fury were able to find me."

"Exactly."

I sighed. "I leave for a few months, and suddenly there really are gods and one of them is a little power hungry."

Steve smiled. "Don't worry, it's over with. Loki won't be causing any more problems."

"What did you do to him?"

"Well, Thor took him back to Asgard. Odin dealt with him."

I sighed, not sure what to do while I waited for the chopper to get us to a SHIELD facility in Phoenix. I mean, I was in a chopper packed full with SHIELD agents, sitting next to Steve Freaking Rogers. What the heck are you supposed to do in that type of company?

Seeing my unease, Steve asked me a question. "I'm still tryna catch up with the times. Who is this Billy Joel guy I've been hearing about supposed to be?"

I smirked. Explaining Billy Joel was one thing I could do. "He's a singer. He's released songs from the '60's to the '90's. He actually wrote a song that could be very helpful to you."

"What song, and how could it help me?"

"It's called "We Didn't Start the Fire." It's about the crap that's happened over time and it starts in 1949 and covers a good chunk of the twentieth century. It doesn't _explain_ the history, but it can give you pointers for what to look at."

"I'll look into it. Are any of his other songs good?"

"'Uptown Girl," "Piano Man," "Still Rock and Roll to Me," and "Only the Good Die Young," along with "We Didn't Start the Fire," are my favorite songs of his."

"I will look into that. What about Queen?"

I laughed. "Yeah, you're gonna need to know about them to survive in modern day America. They're a really good British band."

"British. I've also heard of the Beatles, aren't they also supposed to be British?"

I laughed. "The Beatles are arguably the most well known band in history."

"What about Tolkien?"

"He's an author. Probably started his career around World War II, I think. They're really famous, but so hard to read! There're movies based off his books now, and they're pretty good."

"And _Star Wars_?"

I stopped and slowly turned to him. "No one's told you about _Star Wars_ yet?"

"I've just heard the title thrown around."

"You _need_ to watch _Star Wars_!"

"I will-"

"Fast! You're the last unspoiled man on the planet! You have to watch it before someone spoils _Empire_!"

Steve laughed. "Okay, then, Miss, er, Tori. I'll watch this _Star Wars_ thing."

"Prepare for landing!" a SHIELD agent shouted at us. Were we already at Phoenix? The chopper landed on top of a SHIELD facility. Steve helped me out. _Yep, we're in Phoenix. Gosh, why is it so hot!_

I was lead by Steve inside the facility and down some twists and turns. "Is this where you've been at since the whole Loki thing?"

"Only since I got the assignment to rescue you. All SHIELD buildings are the same format, so you can navigate around any of them once you've been to one of them," Steve explained. After a few more turns, Steve stopped us in front of a door. "Let's head in," he said as he opened the door for me.

Before I could fully get into the room, I was forced into an embrace. It took me a moment to realize who it was.

"Oh my gosh, Tori!" Tommy said as he held onto me. I hugged back, smiling like a five year old on Christmas. "I thought I'd never see you again. Oh my gosh, are you hurt? If you are, I swear, someone will have to restrain me before I kill-"

"I'm fine, Tommy! And it's a bit too late to kill Dingo. He's _dead_ Tommy! _Dead_! I don't have to ever deal with him again!"

"You done? 'Cause you're kinda blocking Captain Rogers from giving me his report," a voice said.

I immediately stepped away from the doorway, apologizing to Steve. Steve just smiled and brushed past to the other man in the room. Tommy nudged me into the room too. The man there was Director Nick Fury. I had never met him before, but he's pretty recognizable, what with the eye patch.

Fury gave me a smile, or rather, I think he did. The smile was gone all too quickly. "Welcome back to the world, Miss Lowe."

"Thank you for eventually finding me," I said.

"I apologise for the delays. We had some inconveniences along the way with some of SHIELD's other projects."

"By "inconveniences" he means aliens almost destroyed New York City," Tommy said.

"I know," I said. "I'm still having a hard time believing it though."

"Did you hear about any of this from Carlton? Because if you did, I'm 90% certain a good chunk of his tale would be fiction," Fury said.

"I told her on the way here," Steve explained.

"I was very confused since before _everything_ happened, the world thought he was dead, and suddenly he was rescuing me."

"Very well. Have a seat, Miss Lowe. Will I be able to separate you from Miss Lowe, Mr Weston?"

"Nope, you won't be able to," Tommy said as he sat down next to me. Fury rolled his eye and sat down, gesturing to Steve to sit next to me as well.

I gave an account of how Zach kidnapped me and what happened once he got me to Carlton. I told him about the tests. I told him about how I saw SHIELD and how Zach helped us fight the assassins, and how Zach killed Carlton and left. After I was done, Steve told us how he got to the building and fought Carlton and rescued me. The entire time I was a little shaky. Seeing this, Tommy held my hand under the table and helped me calm down.

"So you don't know what the heck Hill said?" Fury asked.

"It was something in some language. I have no idea what language. And even then, he said it was in code in the last sentence."

Fury sighed. "He told you it for whatever crazy reason he has. Maybe we'll find out someday. But it is interesting, that the infamous Frostbite would help you escape."

"I have no idea why he helped me," I said. I really hoped that I wasn't a bad liar.

"On another note," Fury said, "I have an offer for you."

"Shoot."

"You are skilled with a computer and you have other skills that make you compatible for SHIELD. The best way to protect you now might be to train you more and offer you a job here."

"You serious?" I asked in shock.

"Yes, I am, Miss Lowe."

"Wow, okay." Very few people ever get offered a job at SHIELD, so this was huge. I could continue software engineering and learn how to fight more. I never thought I'd like martial arts, but it was the most enjoyable part of my stay with Carlton. When I wasn't being shot or poisoned, Carlton was training me himself. It was _terrible._ I hated sparring with him. But it was the best there was, and I surprisingly was pretty good at it. No, I didn't want to get into fights, but I'd be fine learning how to protect myself. "Are you sure?"

"He only hires people he's sure about," Steve assured.

"Then I'll do it, just give me a few days to figure everything out. And I'd prefer not to be in Phoenix. I'm only just barely not dying of a heat stroke here."

"Fine. To go along with that, I don't think I can easily separate you from Mr Weston, and he is a skilled forensic scientist. So I might as well hire him to."

"You're joking." Tommy said.

"I never joke during meetings," Fury assured. "Much less about job offers."

"I'm in if Tori is," Tommy said in a heartbeat.

"Good. In an hour a plane will take you two back to Lehi. Gather your stuff, and we'll send you on another plane to DC."

 _DC?_ I thought incredulously. _That's the headquarters for SHIELD!_ "Yes sir," I said gleefully.

"I'll help you guys get to the hangar," Steve offered.

Steve lead Tommy and I to the hangar, which was filled to the brim with jets. A small plane was where Steve lead us. I tried not to cry. I was finally going _home_ , after so many long months without even knowing what the weather outside was! When we got to the plane, I asked Tommy for a moment alone. He is an amazing best friend. He is so supportive of my every choice. He immediately granted my wish and got on the plane. Steve eyed me. "Are you okay?" He must've noticed how close I was to tears.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, thank you so much for everything, Steve."

"Don't mention it. It's been kinda my job for the past seventy years to fight evil. Dingo may not have been a Red Skull or Loki, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have gone to the ends of the Earth to stop him."

"Thank you." I fought in vain not to cry in front of him. Steve pulled me close to him and held me. I leaned into him, chucking any idea of not crying as I sobbed.

After a few moments, I broke away from Steve's embrace. Steve didn't resist and let me go. "Are you sure you're okay?" he said compassionately.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said as I used my sleeve to rub tears from my face. "Just overwhelmed with everything."

"I probably understand more than most." He smiled brightly. "I'll convince Fury to let you have some time to yourself before you start working." I nodded and went on the plane.

_Casting_  
_Tori Lowe • Willa Holland_  
_Steve Rogers • Chris Evans_  
_Tommy Weston • Grant Gustin_  
_Nick Fury • Samuel L Jackson_


	3. iii

"So, are you and Tommy a thing?" my trainer asked as we fought, a couple of spectators watching. It had been a couple years since I was hired by Nick Fury.

"We're just best friends, Nat, maybe even surrogate siblings," I answered. I knew that Natasha was using this touchy topic as a distraction from the fight, but I wasn't about to let her. Despite answering her, I kept the majority of my focus on the sparring session. 

"When was the last time you dated someone?"

"When was the last time _you_ dated someone? And wining and dining to discreetly interrogate someone doesn't count," I countered.

"Touché." Natasha paused as she attempted to knock my legs out from under me but I reacted too fast. "Ask Jason out and he'll probably say yes."

"Exactly why I don't."

"He's cute and seems nice."

"Then ask him out yourself, Nat."

"Seriously, when was the last time you dated someone?"

"Steadily? Never." I leapt away at the last second as she hurled her leg at me.

"Because you're too shy or too scared?"

"Too secretive, overdramatic, dangerous, should I continue?"

"I get the picture. You've been working here for two years now. You can tell other agents, y'know, about your enhancements. And they can handle themselves. And, no, you aren't overdramatic by SHIELD standards. We've dealt with Loki, a full tilt diva."

"You're really trying to push this, aren't you?"

"Well, _someone_ has to think about your happiness, and right now that person is apparently me, because you certainly don't."

"That's not true."

"Tori, don't try to lie to me. Carlton taught you many things, by he didnt teach you how to lie."

"Then maybe somebody should teach me," I said, hinting it should be Natasha. Natasha Romanoff had been assigned by Fury to train me. She too had been forced into the role of an assassin, though she didn't have SHIELD coming to her rescue. She was trained in the Red Room, which Dingo had claimed to be competition in finding eligible girls to join. When Loki attacked, she became an Avenger. As a woman, she could better train me than others. She taught me how to effectively you a female body in a fight by using my legs and elbows. Though she is not enhanced, she worked to help me learn to fight with my enhancements. She was a much better teacher than the few that had to fill in for her when she had to go out into the field or spy on whatever threat SHIELD could find. The only ones that had filled in for her that had taught me as much as her were Steve and another Avenger, Clint Barton.

"I can arrange that," she said with a smirk as she compromised the weakness in my stance, bringing me down. "Remember to find a stance where you're less likely to lose your balance."

"Yeah, should've known," I groaned as Natasha helped me up. We moved off the padding to let others spar there. I rubbed the sore areas of my body and took a swig of water. "I should probably head back to my computer."

"Oh, Locke can spare a few minutes without you, can't she?" Agent Heather Locke was my supervisor. She was nice enough. Bit of a perfectionist and a stickler to schedules, but without that I might not have been as productive as I was. She taught me a lot of things, things I would not have learned outside of SHIELD if I intended to be a law abiding citizen. She was also known for being quite the deciever. A skill that is quite handy at SHIELD. 

"You're saying that because you've never had to work for her, Nat."

"True, but technically you also work for me, so she has no business getting upset with you because I think you should take a break." She smiles. "If  _I_ of all people think you need a break, you need a break."

"And why do I need a break?"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you took time off, not including your appendicitis last year?"

I bit my lip. "I don't think I have."

"And how many extra hours have you worked, even though Locke didn't need you to?"

"I, uh, a lot, I guess."

"On average, how many hours do you work a day?"

"Um, fifteen or sixteen?"

"You need to take a break, even if you just let off a few hours this week," Natasha suggested.

I sighed. "Fine, only so you don't keep rambling on about it."

Natasha smirked. "While you're at it, if you don't want to ask Jason, why not Carter?"

"Nat!"

"Honestly, Romanoff, what the heck?" someone said behind us. I turned to see it was Steve. "It's one thing to do that to me, but to anyone else? Seriously?"

"Wait, you're trying to get him to date too?" I asked Natasha. 

"Certainly am, Tori."

"Everyday, she's telling me about Piper and Hazel and whoever else," Steve confirmed.

"Well, didn't I tell you two to loosen up and get a life outside of this job?" Natasha asked. "Your love lives seems like a good place to start."

"Our love lives are our private affairs, Natasha," Steve admonished.

"And my job is to figure out people's private lives."

I rolled my eyes. I didn't expect the Black Widow to be the one to try to get me to ask an attractive SHIELD agent out. If anyone, I'd expect Tommy to do that, but I doubt he would've. It honestly would've been the other way around, me telling him about Bianca or Meg or whatever made up name I can think of.

"Speaking of which, Steve, what about Sadie? From statistics?"

"Yeah, no."

"Why just us? Why not Clint, since you're with him a lot?"

Natasha smirked knowingly. "Let's just say I learned to not ask him about it."

"I need to talk to Clint and learn this skill of his," I said, having no idea what Natasha was referring to. I looked down at my watch. "I better start heading back."

"I need to be down the hall from there. I'll go with you," Steve offered. "That is, if you're alright with that."

"Of course I am, Steve. After all, you won't list every attractive male my age in this building, telling me I should ask them out."

Natasha laughed. "Nope. Mr America is too polite for that." Steve rolled his eyes and waved to Natasha, as did I. Natasha waved back as we left the room and went down the windy hallway.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with her," Steve said.

"Well, I guess it adds some color to my life."

Steve smiled. "You know, you've changed a lot since I first met you."

"When you first met me I was a scared, traumatized girl. I'm not so sure what I am now, but I don't think I'm that."

"You aren't a scared, traumatized girl anymore, Tori. You're strong and make everyone around you a bit happier."

"Just a bit?"

"Well, more than that."

I laughed. "So, is Nat bugging you about taking a break too?"

"Oh, yes. I think she forgets I took a break for seventy years in the Arctic."

"She's worried about us, but I don't see why. I'm doing _fine_." 

"Lying might be a useful skill while working at SHIELD, Tori," Steve said, acknowledging my terrible ability at lying.

"Oh, shut up, you wouldn't be able to lie if the world depended on it!"

"You're changing the subject. Are you doing okay?"

I sighed. "I'm not fine, but I'm also not bad right now. I'm just hanging on."

"Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me," Steve said in parting as we went out separate ways. 

I entered the room I was headed, and Locke instantly swarmed around me. Her braided jet black hair flew around as she hurriedly jerked her head in different directions, her purple highlights flying. Her Amber eyes were a mix of concern and discontent. Her hands were in her hips. "Where the heck were you, Agent Lowe?"

"Agent Romanoff asked I stay longer at our training session. I tried to tell her otherwise, but she wouldn't take it," I explained.

Locke rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "Really, Romanoff, really?" She sighed and dropped her gaze back to me. "The guy you know from forensics is at your desk, said he needs your help. Help him before your other assignments." She walked away and I nodded. 

Sitting on the desk beside my computer was Tommy. When he saw me coming he stood up and smiled. "Hey there, Tori." He opened up his arms for an embrace.

Tired, I dropped into his arms and wrapped mine loosely around him. "Hi Tommy." I broke away a second or so later. "Locke said you needed my help. What is it?"

"Oh, a STRIKE team just found this on their target's person, and I can't figure it out," he said, handing me a flash drive.

"Oh, this'll be a walk in the park," I told Tommy as I inserted the drive into my hard drive. I hacked through it and decoded it as we talked.

"How are you holding up?" Tommy asked.

"Against what?"

"Oh, life in general."

"Meh. Not too bad. You?"

"Something like that." He picked up something off my desk. "What's this?" Tommy held up the device Zach had shoved into my pocket two years ago. I hadn't told Tommy what Zach told me, I hadn't told anyone. It wasn't my secret to tell. I had studied the device Zach had given me and still didn't quite know what it was. 

"Oh, uh, something I'll work on in a while," I said hurriedly, hoping I was a little better at lying. 

Tommy shrugged. "It looks like a messed up flash drive." 

"And so does this," I said as I handed him the flash drive and grabbed another out of my desk. "That's the original, and I'm gonna throw the modified in here." Within seconds I was done. "Okay, you're all set."

"Thanks, Tori," he said as we hugged. When we broke away, he gave me one last glance before he turned away. I turned back to my assignments from Locke, expecting another normal week.

Boy, was I wrong.

_Cast_

_Tori Lowe • Willa Holland_

_Natasha Romanoff • Scarlett Johansson_

_Steve Rogers • Chris Evans_

_Heather Locke • Emily Bett Rickards_

_Tommy Weston • Grant Gustin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter asap. Happy birthday Steve! Happy Fourth of July!


	4. iv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Sushi is mentioned multiple times, this chapter may cause intense hunger in sushi fans!

I checked my phone as I went to my computer the next day. There was a text from a certain red head assassin.

_Natasha: what about Leo? He'd say yes_

_Tori: wtf Nat_

I turned my phone off and continued to do my work. I was working on some program, but I couldn't tell what it was for. That happened quite frequently, it being SHIELD. But this was more vague than anything I'd ever seen. So vage that it was almost impossible to do.

"You seem to be going slower than normal," Locke said behind me.

"I have no idea what the heck this is supposed to be for, so it's difficult to code," I explained.

Locke looked over my shoulder. "Holy heck, what on Earth is that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I think it's some form of firewall."

Locke nodded. "That makes sense. I don't know what SHIELD wants it for though. Good luck."

It took me all day to finish it. When I left the room, the hallway was empty, except for one person. Steve. 

I went and joined him. "Hey Steve."

"Hey Tori," he said with a smile. "Listen, can I ask a favor from you?"

"What is it?"

"Well, Romanoff has been very persistent with finding me a date."

"Same with me."

"And, I really don't want to hear it, and neither do you. So maybe we should go for dinner tonight, make sure she knows. Just a one time thing, nothing serious. Is that-"

"Oh, please, anything to stop Nat," I said before Steve could finish.

Steve smiled, realizing I said yes. The two of us planned when and where. We agreed that Steve would drop by my place at 7:00 and we'd head to a restaurant nearby. Both of us glad to rid ourselves or Natasha's nagging for a little while made us both happy. 

Spoilers, it didn't end up being a one time thing. 

But back to the story. 

Fast forward to 6:15. I was texting Natasha to make sure she knew so our plan would work.

_Tori: going on a date at 7_

_Natasha: really? Who???_

_Tori: Steve_

_Natasha: no way! Did he ask you or the other way around?_

_Tori: he asked_

_Natasha: well, I'm glad you 2 finally listened to me :-D_

I waited nervously until Steve rang the door bell. I wore a loose grey dress and black flats, my hair pinned in a bun. I ran to open the door. Steve wore a blue button up shirt and a leather jacket. We purposely chose to wear pretty casual clothing, not wanting to have to deal with exorbitant, uncomfortable clothes.

"Hey Tori. Shall we?"

"And get Nat off our tails for a while. Please!" 

There was a sushi place a block away from my apartment. Steve had yet to have sushi, so I asked if we could go there. It was spring, so the sun was still shining down on us, making long, spindly shadows. A cool breeze was blowing through the area, and it felt amazing. 

"So, what is sushi?"

"Well, sushi is a roll of rice and different types of sea food that you can eat in a mouthful. The sea food can range from crab to eel and octopus. But the meat is so small you can't feel a texture or anything. I like the more exotic sea foods usually, but we can start off with something simple since this is your first time."

"I'll just follow your lead. If giant squid were to taste good, I'd eat it if you said so," Steve said. 

"Alright then, Steve. Get ready to eat octopus for the first time then." I smiled at his reaction. He wasn't sure if I was joking or not. He wanted to say he could, but he was hesitant. "But how about we start with a California roll. Those are common enough, nothing too crazy."

"Okay then, whatever you say. Do you eat sea food outside of sushi? A lot, that is?" 

I shrugged. "Trout is good. I've had mussel, and it actually takes quite good. Calamari—that's squid—is amazing. Shrimp is heavenly. Most of it is good, you just need to build up the courage to eat it."

"Let's hope that fighting Nazis and Chitauri have built up my courage then."

We entered the restaurant. The walls were lined with Japanese art and calligraphy. Softly, Japanese instrumental music played throughout the restaurant. It was small, but was more cozy than cramped. Red and black lined the floor and trimming. The lights were a cozy yellow, not too bright or dim. Snippets of conversations of couples and families could be heard. Since I first went, it has been my favorite restaurant in Washington DC. 

We sat down at the table the waiter lead us to, a beautiful painting of a cherry blossom tree looking down on us. I looked over the menu with Steve, giving my reviews on different rolls. Spiciness, types of fish, etc. We ended up ordering a spicy roll, a California roll, and a roll with octopus. 

"So, what normally happens on a twenty first century date?" Steve asked.

"You know, you have much, much more experience in this sorta thing than I am."

"I kissed Peggy once and we never had a proper date. That's not a lot of experience."

"Still more than me."

"Maybe Natasha was right with you then."

"Hey! For a long time only Tommy knew about me, and neither of us have had feelings like that for each other. And I shouldn't be in a relationship where I can't be fully honest with my partner."

"That's a pretty good reason to not date. What about the last two years?"

I shrugged. "Too busy, I guess."

"That's what I've been telling Nat." He laughed. "Be glad you don't have to deal with her on a mission. We were saving hostages, and every few minutes she'd ask me about so and so."

"And she tells me to stop trying to multitask in a fight!" I said in a joking manner. "Please tell me it worked out."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I? Despite some, uh, _misunderstandings_ , it worked out."

"Oh?"

"Fury just didn't tell me something I probably should've known."

"That's Fury for you," I grumbled. "His secrets have secrets. He's a black hole of secrets. Though, I suppose that's part of the job, being director of an intelligence agency."

"I guess. Though he's been doing stuff I disagree with lately."

"Things I wouldn't know, though I can guess it requires a firewall."

"Why?"

"I had to pitch in on a firewall today, but the info on it's usage was so cryptic no one could guess what it's for."

Right then, the waiter came back with the rolls. "A California Roll, a Delight Roll, and a Sunset Roll." We thanked him. The waiter seemed on edge, and kept glancing back to Steve. I smiled. _Does Steve realize this guy is fanboying over him?_

"You realize he was fanboying over you just barely?"

"Yeah, I kinda get that wherever I go now."

"There are no shortage of reasons for people to get excited around you, are there?"

"After New York, I guess not. Let's have some sushi."

I poured us some soy sauce and pried apart my chopsticks. "You ever use these thingies?"

"Yeah, Tony Stark dragged me to a Chinese place once."

"Okay. You take a slice, dip it in soy sauce, and eat it like so," I said before I ate a Delight Roll slice. "For you, I'd start with this one, the California Roll. Then you can get some of the others."

"Sounds fair." Steve grabbed a slice with the chopsticks, soaked it in soy sauce, and ate it, slowly savoring the flavor. "I like it! Tastes amazing! I'm trying the others." He grabbed a slice of the Delight Roll, the spicy one and ate it. "I think you might have converted me, Tori." He tried a slice of the Sunset Roll, featuring octopus. "Who knew that octopus would taste good?"

"The Japanese, apparently."

Steve smiled as he snagged another one. "One of the pros of not dying and living in this decade: foreign food. Chinese, Indian, Farsi, Thai, Japanese, so much delicious food from out of the States. This wasn't a thing in the '40's. I may be Captain America, but food is food"

"Well said." Together, we finished off the sushi, talking about whatever the conversation lead us to. 

"I need to start coming here a lot," he admitted.

"Well, you can always drag me over to eat this gift from God if you need to stop Nat from giving you a hard time." It's sushi. I love sushi. I don't care. Heck, I'd eat sushi with Loki, that's how much I love it.

"Something tells me you'd drag yourself with me if it meant you'd be getting sushi."

"You know me all too well." We paid together and left a tip. Steve left something else too, but I couldn't see it. 

As we walked out the store, I asked him what it was. "The waiter seemed to flustered to say anything, so I left him a note."

"Anyone ever told you you're the kindest Avenger?"

"No. You haven't met Bruce. He's a nice guy when he's not green."

"I'd love to meet him someday. He's done some things with computer science that are outstanding."

Steve smiled warmly. "He'd be glad to hear that you like that and not the Hulk."

"The Hulk is cool, but it's not really him, is it? So why should I compliment him on someone he isn't?"

"Again, he'd be glad to hear it."

We continued back to my apartment. Leaning on the wall of the building was someone I had not seen in two years. I frowned. "You've got to be kidding me!"

_Cast_

_Tori Lowe • Willa Holland_

_Steve Rogers • Chris Evans_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! You can tell I really like sushi, can't you? Next update on the 25th. Hope you liked it!


	5. v

"I thought you'd be glad to see me, Tori," the man said as he walked out to the shadows to reveal my ex-kidnapper and partner in crime (it's an expression!), the vigilante he purposely lead everyone to believe to be a mercenary, Frostbite, who very few knew as Zach Hill.

"What are you doing here?" Steve said as he subtly stood in front me of, only to my right. I was the only one that knew Zach was into vigilante justice, so Steve thought that Zach was here to do something...menacing. Y'know, kidnap me again or something like that.

"What's going on now?" I said, making it very clear I was annoyed. "And, really? Me? Glad to see you? After the last time you showed up after dark?"

"Look, I didn't come to banter with you, Tori." Now, if you can remember, Zach is a quippy guy. This was the first time he really seemed serious. It was a serious mood change from just a few seconds earlier, but both Steve and I noticed. I was concerned.

"What happened?" 

"You're in danger, both of you," Zach said, looking for any threats.

"In danger of what?" Steve asked harshly.

"SHIELD isn't what we thought it was. They aren't so perfect after all." 

I froze. What does he mean, SHIELD is a danger to us? All SHIELD had done for me was protect me, how could SHIELD be bad? Steve too was confused. SHIELD had thawed him and helped him readjust to the twenty first century. We both had benefitted from SHIELD so much, we didn't think, no, couldn't think SHIELD was a danger to us. Yes, we had our occupational hazards, but SHIELD wouldn't purposely hurt us, would it?

Steve spoke up first. "What do you mean?"

"We were wrong about SHIELD," Zach said. "There's corruption. I can't say for certain how bad it is, but it's bad. And, well, I care enough about Tori to warn her, and you just happen to be here."

"Are you saying someone like Fury could be corrupt?" I asked.

"I doubt Fury is one of them. I haven't met him personally, but I know he's not the type of guy to do this stuff. But someone of similar authority could be."

"How do you know all this?" Steve asked suspiciously.

"You tend to get contacts everywhere in my line of business."

"Which line of business?" I asked.

"I only have _one_ line of business. Question is, what business is it?" Zach corrected.

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked, thoroughly confused.

Zach sighed and stepped closer to us. "Long story short, Cap, I'm a vigilante. But everyone thinks I'm just a rather charming merc. So I get jobs, learn as much as I can about the inner workings, and use that to take them down. Besides, who do you think told you where to find Tori?"

Steve hesitated, not knowing how on Earth to respond. Which I think is pretty understandable. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "He's not lying," I said quietly.

"You knew?"

"Not the whole time, no. Only when he killed Dingo. I didn't tell anyone because I thought that would make things harder for him. Sorry."

Steve sighed. "Well, that's the second thing I haven't been told today. At least it makes sense why I didn't know."

"Okay, are we good now? Good. I don't know much of what's going on, but I do know this: there are mentions of a "Project Insight" that are linked to this unnamed corruption. I don't know what Project Insight is, but knowing the firepower SHIELD has, if it's in the wrong hands, I don't even want to know what could happen. You're the only ones I knew I could trust." Zach wrung his hands together. "I'd love to stay, but in the event that we don't all die, I'd like to stop some vibranium dealers in Odesa. I'm sure you understand why they'd be a problem." Zach walked off before Steve or I could say another word.

"Well, uh, that happened." I sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I never told anyone about Zach."

"Tori, it's okay. Nothing Zach does as Frostbite would work if people, especially SHIELD, knew. But, we need to do something about this corruption in SHIELD, if it's there." Thank goodness Steve was forgiving to a fault.

"Maybe we shouldn't be out in the open."

"Your apartment might be bugged, but we can check first."

We walked up the stairs to my apartment without a word. When we got to my door, though, we could hear light jazz being played on the other side. "What the?"

Steve nodded toward a window in the hallway. "We can make our way over to your window," he whispered. I nodded my agreement.

We quietly opened the window and stepped out into the night air, gripping onto the side of the building, knowing that if we fell, we'd be falling four stories. I have always been a natural climber, and there were plenty of things to hold onto to get to my kitchen window. 

"You don't think this has something to do with what Zach was talking about?" 

"Maybe. Maybe it's another Dingo case," Steve said. "Either way, I have a bad feeling about this?"

"So, did you finally see _Star Wars_?"

Steve smiled. "Yes, yes I did. And I loved it."

We reached the window we needed to enter through. I looked inside for any threats but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I pulled the window open and landed softly inside, Steve right behind me. Steve grabbed his shield, which he left there, not thinking it would be the best idea to bring it to a restaurant. We sneaked through my apartment, making our way toward the music. It was coming from the living room.

There was one turn left before the living room, and Steve briefly peered around it. Before he said anything, he walked in, and I followed.

Let's just say I wasn't expecting Director Nick Fury to be sprawled across my favorite couch. "I don't remember giving you a key," I said, sighing.

Fury struggled to sit up. He appeared to be in a lot of pain. "You really think I'd need one?" He turned to Steve. "What exactly are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Steve responded.

Fury sighed. "My wife kicked me out." 

This surprised me. I never thought of Fury as the family type. Though, I supposed there was nothing that said he couldn't fall in love. "Didn't know you were married."

"There's a lot of things you two don't know about me."

"We know, Nick, that's the problem," Steve said. He walked to a lamp, glanced at me for permission, and flicked the light on, just for Fury to turn the lamp back off.

As you can imagine, Steve and I were pretty confused. But we both knew one thing: something was wrong. Fury doesn't just show up places when everything is fine. No, something was wrong. And after what Zach had told us, we feared the worst.

Fury pulled out his phone and typed something into it. He turned the screen to us to show "EARS EVERYWHERE." "Sorry I had to do this but I had nowhere else to crash." He typed something else. "SHIELD COMPROMISED."

And wasn't that pleasant news? Zach had been right; there was corruption inside of SHIELD. It was a big enough problem that Fury was there, speaking in code.

"Who else knows about your wife?" Steve asked, going along with Fury's take about his angry wife.

Fury showed us the screen again. "US THREE." "Just my friends," he said as he stood up.

"Is that what we are?" I asked. His tactic, calling Steve and I friends, seemed flawed. Wouldn't the bad ones in SHIELD know that we weren't friends with Fury?

"That's up to you." 

Then all heck broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. Hope you liked it!


	6. vi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while but I hope you'll like it

All heck broke loose.

Three shots were let out, and Fury was on the ground. I looked out my window, looking for a sniper. I could see something silver, shining, as Steve and I carefully dragged Fury out of the room, away from any windows. 

Once we were away from the sniper’s scope, Steve and I crouched beside Fury, hurriedly seeing what could be done. “Nick, it’s alright, it’ll be alright,” I whispered, desperation obvious in my voice. There was a lot of blood. He needed a medic,  _ fast _ . So much blood. He didn’t have much time. He needed help. I was starting to panic.  _ Fury _ was shot.  _ Nick Fury _ . 

Fury roughly grabbed Steve’s hand. It took a couple tries; his hand eye coordination was suffering from his injuries. When he let go, there was a flash drive in Steve’s hand. “Don’t trust an-anyone, you two,” Fury struggled to say. Fury put a hand over mine, in a display of comfort, it appeared. “ _ Go _ .”

There was a loud bang, and the front door was forced open. With a look I silently told Steve to stay with Fury, and I ran to see what the commotion was. The girl that lived across the hallway, the nurse was there. We had talked quite a bit. She was nice, helped me readjust to DC. But now she had a gun she had ready to fire, but not pointed at me. “Agent Lowe? I’m Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Service.”

“Kate?” I was not expecting Kate to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought she was just the really sweet nurse down the hall that I was about to get anyway since Fury needed a doctor. But, nope! She came in herself with a gun, ready to shoot an assailant. Not that I’m complaining. Agent 13 has helped out a lot over the years. She's a really good friend who just wants to do the right thing.

“I’m assigned to protect you,” she explained as she went past me into my apartment, lowering her guns.

“On whose order?” Fury had been shot, and both him and Zach were telling me S.H.I.E.L.D. was compromised. I wasn’t about to just let Agent 13 come in with a gun when Fury was bleeding out from three bullet wounds. She walked past me over to where Fury and Steve were and gasped.

“His.” She knelt down next to Fury and tried to get a pulse before grabbing a radio. “Foxtrot is down, he’s unresponsive. I need EMTs.”

Steve and I left Agent 13 to care for Fury while we looked out a window for the sniper.  _ “Do we have a twenty on the shooter?” _ the dispatcher on the other side of the radio asked. We saw the shining metal again. Steve and I shared a glance at each other. We both knew we could run after the sniper. “Tell him we’re in pursuit.”

I’ll admit it, I was scared. Yeah, I was forced into an organization of assassins, and have been training with Natasha, and I did fight a bunch of assassins when Steve and Zach rescued me, but other than that, I hadn’t really fought anyone. This was the first time the person I was fighting would be willing to kill me. Natasha didn’t try to kill me. Dingo had a very questionable training routine, but he didn’t try to kill me. And his assassins wouldn’t try to kill me, just capture me. But this sniper was a different playing field.

But he shot Fury. I wasn’t about to let that slide, was I?

So I took a deep breath, rolled back my shoulders, loosened my muscles, and womaned up. 

“Hold onto me, I’ll get us over there,” Steve said quietly as he opened my screen door.. “It’ll be alright. We’ll get him. Neither of us will get hurt. We’ll run and jump through the glass into that building.” I nodded and followed his lead. We ran through the doorway, and at the end of the balcony I held onto him tight. We jumped, Steve brought the shield in front of us, and a moment later we were falling into a glass window. Glass shattered everywhere, but that wasn't about to stop us, not when the sniper was in sight and Fury was bleeding out in my apartment. 

We could see the sniper just above us. We got up and ran like heck. We ran through hallway after hallway, breaking doors off its hinges, damaging walls, and in general making a mess of the halls. When we finally saw the sniper on our level on the roof outside the window in front of us, we crashed through the class, Steve chucking his shield at the sniper.

So, usually when that happens, the person goes down. But not this guy. 

This guy had a super metal arm and caught it. Before I could get a good look at him beyond the long hair, metal arm, and mask, the shield was being thrown at me. Before it could hit me, I ducked and Steve caught it. But looking back up, the sniper was gone.

We ran to the edge of the roof and looked around. “You see him?” Steve asked.

“Nope. And now we have a string of unanswered questions. Who, what, where, and why?"

"And was it connected to what Fury said about S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Steve asked. 

"I dunno, but probably. But we need to go back to Fury and Kate, uh, Agent 13. Gosh, her name isn't Kate, is it?"

"Yeah, I guess not. And to think that today we were making plans to make Natasha think we were doing something romantic?"

"Well, at least none of  _ this _ happened in the restaurant. I like that place a lot. I'd hate for a sniper with a  _ Star Wars  _ arm to shoot someone there." Sirens were blaring below us. Ambulance, police, S.H.I.E.L.D. SUVs. "There coming to my place for Fury. Oh, gosh, Fury."

"He wouldn't want you to worry," Steve said as we began to head back to my apartment. "And be left us a mission."

"I know, it's just kinda overwhelming, a sniper shooting Fury in front of me, the prosthetic, him escaping, fighting an actual threat and not Romanoff. You still got the drive?" 

"In my pocket."

"Can I see it?" Steve nodded, pulled it out of his front pocket, and handed it to me. "I used to do this, back when I was in college and when I was a coder in Lehi. I just figure, no one's gonna look here, are they?" I used to stick flash drives in my hair ties holding my hair up when my pockets weren't big enough. Which happened a lot because whoever is making jeans for women doesn't believe in pockets. This time, though, I made sure I had hair hiding the drive. No one would guess there was a highly classified S.H.I.E.L.D. flash drive in my hair.

We ran back to my place, to find several medics loading Fury onto a gurney. They were spewing medical nonsense I didn't understand, but from their tone of voice it seemed bad. "The shooter?" Agent 13 asked, hoping for any good news.

"Didn't get him. Got away too fast." Did I leave out the important fact that he could've blended in well in  _ Star Wars _ , caught Steve's shield, and could leave without a trace? Yeah. But Fury had just told Steve and I not to trust anyone.

I ran a hand through my hair in stress. Tonight was just supposed to be chill, Steve and I eating sushi, making certain Natasha knew, and maybe talk to Tommy about it. Not Zach showing up with a warning about S.H.I.E.L.D. Not Fury in my home telling us S.H.I.E.L.D. was compromised. Not an assassin maybe killing Fury. Not Kate the nurse turning out to be Agent 13 from S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Service. Not running after the assassin, into the first fight where I could've died. 

Steve set a hand on my shoulder. "Tori, you good?"

I brushed off his question. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just overwhelmed, I guess."

"Yeah, everything is falling apart."

"Call Romanoff. She needs to hear about this."

"She'll kill us if she doesn't. You take Tommy."

We were asked to get on some S.H.I.E.L.D. issued vehicles to get to the hospital, and neither of us argued. We weren't going to be anywhere but with Fury. In the SUV, we called Tommy and Natasha. 

"Hey, Tori, how was sushi with Steve?"

"Well, that part of my night was great."

"What happened?"

"Fury was almost assassinated. He still might die now."

"What? Wh-what happened?"

"It's a long story. He was in my apartment, and suddenly he was getting shot, and my next door neighbor is actually in Special Service, and Steve and I ran after the assassin, but we lost him, and we're driving to the hospital, and all of S.H.I.E.L.D. is gonna go crazy, and you'll be getting a million calls soon."

"Uh, okay. That's a lot. Are you alright?"

"Physically, yeah. Emotionally, not so much. Sorry, gotta go."

"I'll get there ASAP."

"Seeya soon."

I looked through the rest of my notifications. "Anyone else we should tell? Barton?"

"Clint's undercover, I don't think we can call him. Locke?"

"Pissed that I did field work. She's jealous, wants to keep me in the tech department. Rumlow?"

"Already knows, asking about the shooter. Hill should know."

"What about Stark or Banner?"

"Stark blew up all his suits. I don't know if he's still Iron Man or not. Tryin' to focus more on his girlfriend. And I honestly don't know what's happening with Banner."

"And Thor?"

"On Earth, but I don't know if he's available. Or how to contact him."

"So this can't be an Avengers sort of thing."

"Not if Romanoff and I are the only ones available."

"Well, that limits us a lot."

"Looks like we're alone on this."

_ Cast _

_ Willa Holland • Tori Lowe _

_ Chris Evans • Steve Rogers _

_ Samuel L Jackson • Nick Fury _

_ Emily VanCamp • Agent 13 _

_ Sebastian Stan • Sniper _

_ Grant Gustin • Tommy Weston _


End file.
